5 Ways Of Expressing And Interpreting Love And Affection

You and your partner may not express love in the same way, but that's okay.

South Asians, whether living in their country of origin or growing up abroad, are often raised with the cultural value of providing care and doing things for others. The concept of seva, or service, is one that repeatedly arises throughout a South Asian’s life, emphasizing the importance of "the other."

Girls even more so than boys are raised to believe that you show love and caring by doing and serving others. Although the message may be more skewed by gender, boys also may grow up being taught that providing money and financial support as well as doing the heavy lifting around the house, literally, is what makes for a strong and successful husband.

The assumption that comes with this cultural value is that all people appreciate and feel loved when others do things for them. Unfortunately, especially in a marriage, this is not always the case, as there are several different ways of showing love and how we like to be shown affection differs based on the individual.